Nick Grimshaw has opened up about the internal struggles he faced with his Sєxuality while growing up.

The former BBC Radio 1 presenter, 40, publicly came out as gay in 2012 and got engaged to his boyfriend Meshach Henry in March 2022. 

However, growing up in the Catholic church, Nick experienced a deep sense of guilt about his Sєxuality.

In a candid conversation on Elizabeth Day’s How To Fail podcast this Wednesday, Nick shared: ‘Oh, yeah. So, basically, I grew up going to Catholic schools and so I had this guilt about being gay. 

‘I’d pray to be cured or [think] why me? I’d be like, I don’t want to be gay. 

‘I’d pray for it to be taken away from me and I remember thinking, well if I try actively to be heteroSєxual, maybe it’ll budge over a bit. Plot ruiner, it didn’t.’

Nick Grimshaw has opened up about the internal struggles he faced with his Sєxuality while growing up 

Growing up in the Catholic church, Nick experienced a deep sense of guilt about his Sєxuality (pictured 2008)

He continued: ‘I remember being like if I go and get into football, I remember trying to sit and watch it and like it and copy the way my brother and dad were sat watching it. 

‘I remember going to get a football magazine and I thought, well, I’ll just learn about this. 

‘I’ll just learn heteroSєxuality from Shoot magazine. It was a really unnatural read to me because I was really trying to force it in, so it felt a bit like homework.’

Nick then recalled a moment when he was flicking through a magazine and saw a picture of David Beckham after a match.

He explained: ‘I think with a cup, so he’d won something and he was playing for Man United, and I was just totally transfixed and drawn into it, and I think I was too young, or maybe I didn’t even realise I fancied him, I didn’t know what it was, but I just knew that I was like, wow, almost like a magic eye picture, where you’re drawn in, and I remember showing it to my mum and saying, ‘can I put this on my bedroom wall?’ and my Mum being like, ‘go and ask your Dad’, because looking back, I think he was maybe wet, and it was black and white, and it’s quite a Sєxy picture probably. 

‘I remember showing it to my dad and my dad was in the garden and I was like, ‘can I put that on my wall?’ and my dad was like, ‘you can but don’t use Blu Tack’. So his main issue was Blu Tack. 

‘He wasn’t like, ‘why do you want to put a semi-naked David Beckham on the wall?’ He was like, you can adorn it but watch the wallpaper.’

The former BBC Radio 1 presenter, 40, publicly came out as gay in 2012 and got engaged to his boyfriend Meshach Henry in March 2022

Nick confirmed his engagement to long-term boyfriend Meshach ‘Mesh’ Henry after four years as a couple

The popular BBC Radio 1 DJ confirmed the news in an Instagram post 

Nick’s post also included a snap of his sparkling new gold engagement ring, along with a third image taken mere moments after Mesh’s proposal

It comes after Nick confirmed his engagement to long-term boyfriend Meshach ‘Mesh’ Henry after four years as a couple.

The popular BBC Radio 1 DJ confirmed the news in an Instagram post shared with his followers.

Revealing his engagement ring in a series of pᴀssport booth pH๏τos, he wrote: ‘And in gay news this evening…. got proposed to, said yes obvs.’

Nick’s post also included a snap of his sparkling new gold engagement ring, along with a third image taken mere moments after Mesh’s proposal. 

The pair appeared to be enjoying a sunny getaway, as the DJ posed surrounded by a beach sunset. 

Nick first began dating dancer Mesh in 2018, previously revealing they first met after he moved to Radio 1’s Drivetime show.

It was reported in 2019 that Nick and Meshach had moved in together so they can ‘spend a lot of time together in the week’.

Nick first began dating dancer Mesh in 2018

A source told The Sun: ‘Nick is the happiest he has ever been and Mesh is a mᴀssive part of that.

Read More Nick Grimshaw is ENGAGED! Radio 1 DJ, 37, confirms he will exchange vows with long-term partner Meshach ‘Mesh’ Henry, 25, after accepting surprise marriage proposal

‘They were spending all of their time together, with Mesh always staying over, so it made complete sense for them to move in together.

‘Nick asked him to come and live with him and it’s all gone really well. Their jobs aren’t regular nine to fives so they can spend a lot of time together in the week.’

Nick and Meshach were first spotted at the Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire in October 2018.

At the time, a source told The Sun: ‘Nick has found dating quite tough in recent years because of his job.

‘But he met Mesh a few months ago and although it’s still early days they are really enjoying their time together. They are taking things easy and not putting any pressure on anything.

‘Nick really likes him, and his friends are thrilled he has found someone who makes him happy.’